Bobbin handling arrangement



May 21, 1963 G. H. SANDERS 3,090,476

BOBBIN HANDLING ARRANGEMENT Filed Oct. 11, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR. GRADY H. SANDERS To EMF SOURCE FIG. "I-

M y 3 G. H. SANDERS 3,090,476

BOBBIN HANDLING ARRANGEMENT Filed 001;. 11, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.-2-

INVENHR.

GRADY H SANDERS ATTORNEY May 21, 1963 G. H. SANDERS BOBBIN HANDLINGARRANGEMENT 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 11, 1960 FIG. "3"

IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEY May 21, 1963 G. H. SANDERS 3,090,476 BOBBIN HANDLINGARRANGEMENT Filed Oct. 11, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. GRADY H.SANDERS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,996,476 BOBBIN HANDLINGARRANGEMENT Grady H. Sanders, Spartanburg, S.C., assignor to DeeringMilliken Research Corporation, Spartanburg, 3.6., a corporation ofDelaware Filed Get. 11, 1%0, Ser. No. 61,915 16 Claims. (Cl. 19$33) Thisinvention relates to bobbin handling apparatus, and more particularly toan improved bobbin orienting and transfer arrangement for orienting andtransferring horizontally arranged bobbins to spaced apart verticallydisposed positions for further handling, such being particularly usefulin the automation of textile processing apparatus requiring supplies ofempty bobbins at particular spaced apart substantially verticalpositions.

It has previously been proposed to doii and don spinning framessubstantially automatically or semiautomatically through thesimultaneous dotting and thereafter donning of a plurality of the takeupspindles, it being preferred in many instances to doff and then don bothsides of :an entire textile frame at one time. Various schemes have beenproposed for eiiecti-ng this operation, some of which include theemployment of a multiple bobbin doffer carrier which requires or makesit desirable to provide a supply of empty bobbins disposed in alignedspaced apart positions for pickup by the carrier in order to don a new anew supply of empty bobbins onto a spinning frame in one operation. Thepresent invention is directed to the provision of an apparatus which isparticularly adapted to the solution of this requirement in a facile andsubstantially automatic manner, requiring a minimum of operatorattention and servicing, although it will be readily apparent to thoseskilled in the art that the apparatus may be suitably employed in otheruses as may be desired and for which the need may arise.

Still other features and attendant advantages will become apparent toone skilled in the art from a reading of the following detaileddescription of one preferred physical embodiment constructed accordingto the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawingswherein FIGURE 1 is a schematic perspective view of an embodimentaccording to the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a further enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus ofFIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a partial exploded view of the transfer cone arrangement ofFIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 4 is a further enlarged view of the discharge zone of thetransfer cone.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevation of the transfer conedischarge zone.

Referring now to the figures of the drawings, as seen in FIGURES l and2, empty supply bobbins B are carried in substantially horizontal,spaced apart relation by a conveyor 11 from a suitable source of supply(not shown) to a reserve chute arrangement 13 where the bobbins areslowed down, oriented, stored and fed in laterally side-bysidesubstantially horizontal stacked relation to a transfer cone arrangement15 which then conveys the bobbins B in one-by-one fashion to abobbin-receiving belt 17, where the bobbins are transferred and seatedin spaced apart upstanding substantially vertical relation along thelength of the belt 17.

In the instant example the feed conveyor 11 takes the form of acontinuous feed belt 11a having cleats or lugs 11b disposed at spacedapart positions on its conveying surface, the belt being disposedbetween a pair of side walls 110 which serve to orient and maintain thebobbins in end-to-end relation along the belt 11a and between the cleatsor lugs 11b. The bobbins may be placed on the 3,690,476 Patented May 21,1963 conveyor belt 11a by any suitable feeding arrangement (not shown),with their head or small ends first. The bobbins proceed along theconveyor belt 11a to a discharge zone adjacent the reserve chute 13, atwhich position the bobbins encounter an oblique surface in the form of adoor or wall 19 which serves to cam the bobbins B laterally (from thefeed belt 11w through a side opening 11d formed in one of the side walls11c and into the upper level of the chute 13. The cam acting door '19may, if desired, be pivoted as at 1911 for selective movement into andout of the path of the bobbins B on the feed belt 11a in order to supplybobbins B selectively to the reserve chute 13 as may be desired ornecessary. Such movement of the pivoted door 19 may be controlled eitherautomatically or manually, as may be desired.

The bobbins leaving the conveyor feed belt 11w are oriented by thecumming action of the oblique surface of the door 19 to a position withtheir head ends extending toward the right hand side of the chute asviewed in FIG- URE 1 (the left hand side as viewed in FIGURE 2), androll or slide down the inclined floor 13a of the upper level of thechute "13, thereupon dropping off the lower end of the upper floor 13aand through an intermediate vertical trough 1% into a second reverseinclined intermediate floor portion 13c of the chute, from which theyproceed to a substantially vertically disposed reserve feed trough =13dfrom which they sequentially and individually feed to the transfer conearrangement 15. Thus, the chute 13 serves to .slov. down and orient thebobbins B in side-by-side substantially generally horizontal relation,and to provide a supply of bobbins suitably arranged for reception byand feeding to the transfer cone arrange ment 15'.

The transfer cone arrangement 15 takes the form of a generallyfrusto-conical shaped member having a plurality of bobbin receivingrecesses or slots 15b formed in its tapered peripheral surface 15a. Thebobbin receiving recesses 15]) may be slightly tapered from the base endof the cone to the small end thereof in order to effect more accuratepositioning of the bobbins at the zone of discharge and seating thereofonto the bobbin receiving belt, while aiding in the ease of discharge ofthe bobbins from the transfer cone. The recesses 15b are preferablyformed of oversized width in order to permit ease of discharge from themoving cone without jamming in the discharge zone. The base periphery ofthe transfer cone 15 is preferably cut back slightly, as indicated at15a, as an aid to the prevention of bobbin jamming at the discharge zonedue to transverse movement of the cone 15 relative to the movement ofthe receiving belt 17.

A cover 16 in the form of a curved sheet of suitable material, such assteel, wraps about the active portion of the transfer cone periphery,and may be secured, as by bolts 18, to the lower end of the chute 13 and:a portion of the supporting frame 21. The cover 16 extends fromadjacent the discharge end of the chute 13 to the discharge zone of thetransfer cone l5, and includes a curbed main portion prefer-ably spacedslightly greater than one bobbin diameter from the lateral bottom of therecesses 15b formed in the tapered periphery of the transfer cone,together with an in-t-urned cover flange 16a which is disposed inslightly spaced apart relation beneath the base end port-ion of thebobbin receiving recesses 15b formed in the cone 15. The cover 16 thusserves to maintain the bobbins in their respective recesses or slots1512 both laterally and longitudinally, as they travel from the upperrotation of the cone 15 and its supporting drive shaft 23 is inclinedwith respect to both the horizontal and the vertical, and in theillustrated example is inclined at an angle of approximately 45. Theperipheral surface and taper of the transfer cone 15 is preferably suchthat a diametral plane cuts an approximately 90 angle at the imaginaryapex of the cone of revolution formed by the translatory movement of theaxes of the bobbins in the recesses 15b of the transfer cone 15. Thus,each succeeding recess passing through the bobbin receiving Zone at theupper side of the transfer cone is substantially horizontal and eachsucceeding recess passing through the bobbin discharge and seating zoneadjacent the bobbin receiving belt is substantially vertical.

It will be apparent that while the preferred embodiment utilizes anapproximately 90 cone and a 45 angle of inclination for the axis ofrotation of the cone, it may be feasible in various instances to modifythese'angles somewhat in order to accommodate different desired inputangles and output angles for the bobbins to be transferred. Thereceiving and/or discharge positions may be varied by changing either orboth of the effective degree of taper of the cone and the degree ofinclination of the cone axis. Thus, if one desired to transfer bobbinsfrom a position where they were inclined to the horizontal to a positionwhere they would be substantially vertical, one might employ a transfercone of less than 90 at the apex and an angle of inclination to thehorizontal of greater than 45. Such is not desirable in the presentinstance, however, for this might result in an undesirable skewing anddifiiculty of feeding of the bob: bins in the reserve chute, although insome instances this might be tolerated.

The bobbin receiving belt 17 is preferably formed with bobbin receivingand holding members disposed thereon at spaced apart intervals in orderto provide for retaining of the bobbins in spaced apart upstandingpositions along the length of the belt, thereby providing a fullypositioned and easily handled source of oriented bobbins which may bepicked up as by a simultaneous multiple position type dolfer carrier. Inthe instant example the bobbin receiving and holding members take theform of pegs 17a formed or secured on the outer surface of the belt 17.'These pegs may extend along the entire length, or less, of the belt ifdesired. However, it will be noted that it is only necessary that thepegs extend along a length equal to or less than one horizontal run ofthe belt in order to provide for effective positioning of a singledesired set of bobbins for subsequent pickup or other handling. a

The bobbins are transferred from the transfer cone 15 to the bobbinreceiving belt 17'as they become substantially vertically disposedduring the path of travel thereof in their respective recesses on thetransfer cone. To this end, the bobbin flange 16a of the cover 16 isterminated at a position preferably slightly preceding (eg.approximately the vertical position of the trailing edge of thesuccessive recesses formed on the surface of the transfer cone, therebyenabling the bobbins B disposed in each of the recesses 15!) to dropunder the force of gravity onto the bobbin receiving belt 17 as theysequentially become disposed in a vertical position. A slidably adjustedup 16a is preferably also provided in order to more precisely set thedrop zone for proper registry with the pegs 17a on the belt 17. 7 Lip16a may be provided with a slot for sliding adjustment toward and awayfrom the center line of the pegs 17a, and may be secured onto the lowersurface of the flange 16a as by flanged screws, as shown in FIGURE 5.The side wall of the cover 16 which serves to retain laterally thebobbins within the recesses 15b is also terminated at this point alongits lower discharge end 16!) in order to permit the bobbins to betransported by the belt 17 away from the discharge brought into thedischarge and seating zone. However, the upper discharge end we of thecover 16 preferably extends out into the discharge zone a small distance(e.g. approximately one-half of the bobbin small end diameter) in orderto prevent the head ends of the bobbins from unduly tilting and causingfalling over of the bobbins during their movement in the cone dischargezone.

In order to facilitate the proper deposit of each succeeding bobbin fromthe transfer cone 15 onto a respective succeeding one of the pegs 17a onthe bobbin receiving belt 17, the drive roll 31 for the bobbin receivingbelt 17 is interconnected in positive synchronous relation with thedrive for the drive shaft of the transfer cone. Preferably, this iseffected by employing a single drive motor M which serves to impartrotation, as through a conventional mechanical gearing or other desiredconnection, generally indicated at 33, to both of the cone supportingand drive shaft 23 and the drive roll 31 for the bobbin receiving belt17. In order to further facilitate the positive synchronism of the belt17 with the transfer cone 15 the belt may be provided with cleats 17b orthe like on its inner surface which engage with corresponding grooves31:: formed on the peripheral surface of the drive roll 31.

In order to insure the supplying of a bobbin B to each of the succeedingpegs 17a on the peg belt 17 as they pass the cone discharge and seatingzone the reserve chute 13 is provided with a low reserve stopmotionswitch 35 for the drive motor M. This low reserve stop-motion switch 35may take the form of it normally closed Micro-switch or other suitableswitch disposed on the side wall of the vertical trough of the chute,and having a feeler finger 35a extending into the bobbin passage withinthe chute for sensing the presence of bobbins. By disposing this switch35 at a suitable height on the side Wall of the vertical reserve anddischarge trough portion of the chute, as for instance 3 or 4 bobbinsheight above the discharge end, the power circuit to the motor'M will bebroken and the motor will stop prior to any failure of supply of bobbinsto the transfer cone 15 as the cone moves past the reserve chutedischarge end, thus insuring that the transfer cone will not be rotatedin the absence of a supply bobbin for each next succeeding recess to beloaded.

In operation, the bobbins B are fed in spaced apart end .to-end relationwith their head ends first by the conveyor feed belt Hand are dischargedonto and oriented in the reserve chute 13 by the lateral camming actionof the pivoted door or wall 19, where they move under the force ofgravity in laterally side-by-side relation down the two levels 13a, ofthe chute to the vertical discharge reserve trough 13d. From thevertical discharge reserve trough 13d of the reserve chute I13 thebobbins move in one-by-one relation into each succeedingbobbin-receiving recess 15b on the surface of the transfer cone 15, thebobbins moving into these recesses under the influence of gravity, andeach succeeding bobbin being prevented from moving until a succeedingrecess 15b registers with the discharge opening of the chute 13 by theintermediate raised portions forming the outer cone surface 15a. Thebobbins B are moved by the rotation of the transfer cone 15 from thesubstantially horizontal position at their entrance thereto to anupstanding position at the discharge and seating zone, where they aredischarged and seated under the influence of gravity by sliding out oftheir respective recesses 15b onto a respective peg 17a of the bobbinreceiving peg belt 17 as the belt is moved in a clockwise direction asviewed in FIGURE 1.

In the event of an undesirably low supply of bobbins in the bobbinreserve chute 13 the stop motion switch 35 will be opened, therebystopping the drive motor to the transfer cone 15 and bobbin receivingpeg belt 17 until the supply is replenished. Upon the replenishing ofthe bobbin supply by the supply conveyor :11, which is preferably runcontinuously, the motor M will again start and continue the loading ofthe peg belt 17 with the desired supply of upstanding vertically spacedapart empty bobbins B. Upon the completion of the filling of any desirednumber of pegs 17a along the upper run of the peg belt 17 the controlswitch 37 for the drive motor M may be manually or automatically opened,whereupon the bobbins disposed on the pegs 17a may be subsequentlypicked up as by a simultaneous multiple position type dolfer carrier ofsuitable type and design, or otherwise employed as may be desired.

While this invention has been described and illustrated with respect toone preferred embodiment, it will be apparent that the invention iscapable of many modifications and improvements without departing fromthe scope and spirit thereof. Accordingly, it is to be understood thatthe illustrated and described embodiment is only illustrative, and thatthe invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

That which is claimed is:

l. A bobbin reorienting and transfer arrangement comprising a firsthorizontal conveyor adapted to convey bobbins lying in flatsubstantially horizontal position thereon, a second horizontal conveyoradapted to receive and hold bobbins in a vertical position thereon, andmeans disposed in intermediate flow relation between the output fromsaid first conveyor and the input to said second conveyor forreorienting the flat substantially horizontal bobbins to a verticalposition and transferring said bobbins in substan tially verticalposition to said second conveyor, said intermediate means forreorienting and transferring bobbins comprising a conical member havingmultiple bobbin holding recesses thereon open at the larger base end ofsaid conical member for direct longitudinal sliding discharge of bobbinstherefrom, said conical member being rotatable about an axis disposed atan angle to the hori zontal 2. A bobbin reorienting and transferarrangement comprising a first horizontal conveyor adapted to conveybobbins lying in flat substantially horizontal position thereon, asecond horizontal conveyor adapted to receive and hold bobbins in avertical position thereon, and means disposed in intermediate flowrelation between the output from said first conveyor and the input tosaid second conveyor for reorienting the flat substantially horizontalbobbins to a vertical position and transferring said bobbins insubstantially vertical position to said second conveyor, saidintermediate means for reorienting and transferring bobbins comprising aconical member having multiple bobbin holding recesses thereon, saidconical member being rotatable about an axis disposed at an angle to thehorizontal, said bobbin receiving recesses being tapered from one end tothe other, the larger end of said recesses being disposed adjacent thebase end of said conical member.

3. An arrangement for reorienting and transferring generallyhorizontally arranged bobbins to side-by-side generally verticallydisposed positions, comprising a rotatable conically shaped memberhaving its axis of rotation disposed at an angle to the vertical and tothe horizontal, and multiple-bobbin-holding recesses on the conicalperiphery of said conically shaped member and open at the larger baseend of said conically shaped member for longitudinal sliding dischargetherefrom, means disposed along the lower portion of the path of travelof said bobbin holding means and adapted to receive bobbins from saidbobbin holding means in a generally vertical position, and means forfeeding bobbins to said bobbin holding means at another position alongthe path of travel of said bobbin holding means.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said bobbin receiving means isan endless flexible band having bobbin holding means associatedtherewith for holding bobbins in substantially vertically disposedposition thereon after discharge from said conical member.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said conical member and saidendless band are movable in synchronism, said apparatus comprisingcontinuous motion drive means for driving said conical member and saidband in smooth continuous synchronous relation.

6. Apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising a partial coverdisposed over a portion of the conical periphery of said conicallyshaped member to aid in holding bobbins in said bobbin holding recessesduring movement of said bobbins by said conically shaped member. I -7.Apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising a stationary coverextending beneath a portion of the extent of travel of said recesses toprevent premature discharge of bobbins from said recesses.

8. An arrangement for reorienting and transferring generallyhorizontally arranged bobbins to side-by-side generally verticallydisposed positions, comprising a rotatable conically shaped memberhaving its axis of rotation disposed at an angle to the vertical and tothe horizontal, and multiple-bobbin-hol-ding recesses on the conicalperiphery of said conically shaped member, recesses disposed along thelower portion of the path of travel of said bobbin holding means andadapted to receive bobbins from said bobbin holding means in a generallyvertical position, and means for feeding bobbins to said bobbin holdingmeans at another position along the path of travel of said bobbinholding means, said bobbin holding means comprising a plurality of slotsformed in the periphery of said conical member and extending from thebase end of said conical member, and a cover extending beneath a portionof the extent of travel of said slots to prevent premature discharge ofbobbins from said slots, said cover for the base end of said slots and aportion of said cover for said conical periphery terminating at a pointadjacent said means to receive bobbins from said bobbin holding means.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the peripheral surface of saidconically shaped member adjacent its base end is cut back at a greatertaper angle than the portion of said periphery adjacent the smaller endof said conically shaped member, as an aid to prevention of bobbinjamming in the discharge zone.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the portion of said cover forsaid conical periphery and disposed adjacent the small end of saidconically shaped member extends beyond the portion thereof adjacent thelower base end of said concally shaped member as an aid to preventingtumbling or overturning of the bobbins as they leave said slots adjacentsaid means to receive bobbins therefrom.

ll. A bobbin reorienting and transfer apparatus comprising a generallyconically shaped member mounted for rotation about an axis inclined toboth the vertical and the horizontal and having its base end extendingdownwardly, a plurality of longitudinally extending bobbinholding oupsformed on the tapered surface of said conically shaped member and eachbeing disposed in a respective plane containing said axis of rotation,each of said cups being open at the end thereof adjacent the base ofsaid conically shaped member for discharging of bobbins therefrom, and acover disposed about a portion of the tapered periphery of saidconically shaped member and extending between a bobbin entry zoneadjacent the upper surface of said tapered periphery and a bobbin exitzone adjacent a lower portion of said conical surface, said lowersurface having a substantially greater inclination to the horizontalthan said upper surface, and bobbin retaining means extending beneathsaid cups in the area immediately preceding said bobbin exit zone.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said cups comprise aplurality of lengthwise slots formed in said tapered periphery andhaving an open end adjacent the base end of said conically shapedmember, said bobbin retaining means comprising a bottom cover plateextend- 7 ingibeneath a portion of the extent of travel of said slotsimmediately preceding said exit zone. 7 13. Apparatus according to claim12 further comprising an adjustment cover plate adjustably mounted atthe exit end of said bottom cover plate for selective adjust ment ofsaid bobbin exit zone from said slots.

14. Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the upper end of said coveradjacent said bobbin exit zone extends :beyond the lower end thereof andbeyond said bobbin retaining means beneath said cups, as an aid topreventing overturning of bobbins in said exit zone.

15. Apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a deliverytrough having an open bottom end disposed adjacent the upper portion ofthe path of moveo u ment of said cups and being adapted to deliverbobbins in one-by-one fashion to said cups.

16. Apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a receiving belthaving male holders at spaced intervals thereon, said belt beingdisposed at said bobbin exit zone, and means for moving said belt andsaid comically shaped member in synchronism.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. A BOBBIN REORIENTING AND TRANSFER ARRANGEMENT COMPRISING A FIRSTHORIZONTAL CONVEYOR ADAPTED TO CONVEY BOBBINS LYING IN FLATSUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION THEREON, A SECOND HORIZONTAL CONVEYORADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND HOLD BOBBINS IN A VERTICAL POSITION THEREON, ANDMEANS DISPOSED IN INTERMEDIATE FLOW RELATION BETWEEN THE OUTPUT FROMSAID FIRST CONVEYOR AND THE IMPUT TO SAID SECOND CONVEYOR FORREORIENTING THE FLAT SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL BOBBINS TO A VERTICALPOSITION AND TRANSFERRING SAID BOBBINS IN SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALPOSITION TO SAID SECOND CONVEYOR, SAID INTERMEDIATE MEANS FORREORIENTING AND TRANSFERRING BOBBINS COMPRISING A CONICAL MEMBER HAVINGMULTIPLE BOBBIN HOLDING RECESS THEREON OPEN AT THE LARGER BASE END OFSAID CONICAL MEMBER FOR DIRECT LONGITUDINAL SLIDING DISCHARGE OF BOBBINSTHEREFROM, SAID CONICAL MEMBER BEING ROTATABLE ABOUT AN AXIS DISPOSED ATAN ANGLE TO THE HORIZONTAL.